Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)

This motion is extremely important. Its main aim is to ensure our elderly will be well cared for in both private and public nursing homes. Leaving politics aside, many people, including myself, never thought the actions reported by "Prime Time" could happen to the elderly in a Christian, caring Ireland. Crimes against the elderly were perpetrated. My colleague, Deputy O'Dowd, has put great effort into this and has behaved in a professional way over years of research into this. I do not single out the Minister but speak of the Government's inactivity. I hope the Minister in his reply will indicate why the legislation on the inspectorate is not being introduced. I cannot understand it. Is he saying it cannot be done or that it should not be done? My colleagues have pointed out that it has been promised so many times and I cannot understand why any Government could leave itself open to the charge that it failed to care for the elderly by bringing in that legislation. Legislation comes through this House every day, which is the purpose of the Dáil. The "Prime Time" investigation taught us all a lesson. In east Galway I know 20 or 30 private nursing homes and I am aware of no complaints. I know several people who spend valued time in them. One must stand back from this and examine carefully the findings of the "Prime Time" investigation team. It happened in one place already and due to human nature, if it is let go unchecked, what is contemplated today could be an accepted practice in the system in ten years' time. That is why the inspectorate is so vitally important.

As far as I know, there is never any trouble in a nursing home with people that are active and whose mental capabilities are such that they are able to look after themselves as far as is practicable. These people are not only inside the nursing home as they are also able to walk out during the day and meet their neighbours. An inspectorate is important for these people, but it is not necessary. However, some people lose their senses and are unable to look after themselves. Such people may have to be spoon-fed and looked after like children. It is only then that this inspectorate should be there on behalf of those people because such people have dignity, they have served this country well over the years and they should not be stripped of their dignity in the last years of their lives. This should not be allowed in any civilisation, Christian or otherwise. It should not be allowed to happen, whether it is due to profit, uncaring attitudes or whatever.

If Deputy O'Dowd put down a question in this Parliament about the HSE, why would he be told that he could not get the answer here, but through the Freedom of Information Act? Why should that be the case? In schools and colleges, the done thing is to ensure that parents know what exactly is happening in those establishments. That is as it should be. However, nursing homes are treated like an enclosed order. When will that change? When my parents were alive, nursing homes did not exist, but if I thought that I had unwittingly committed my parents to a nursing home that did not meet the expected specifications because I could not get the information, I would stand outside the gates of this House with a placard, and so would the Minister of State. We would not take "no" for an answer.

When I am told that the only way I can acquire such information is to make a freedom of information request, I wonder what I am elected for. What is a democracy? What is a national parliament? What are we doing here? If I know the Minister of State well enough, I believe he would want to change that, but I cannot understand why the Government will do nothing.

In the last budget, we were delighted that €110 million was made available for public nursing homes. Why, therefore, are more and more people approaching me in my constituency because they are forced to apply to the HSE western area for access to State-run nursing homes such as St. Brendan's in Loughrea? The figures show that there are more people lining up for access to these homes. Any old person in receipt of only the old age non-contributory pension, with no relative to help them and with the subvention that currently exists, is not able to make up the €500 to €700 per week that is now charged by the vast majority of nursing homes.

There is a shortfall of about €200 per week. Where does that come from? It is all right if the old person's sons and daughters are around and are able to pay. I see nothing wrong with family members having to do things like that, but some people do not have anybody belonging to them, or the people belonging to them are so stressed out with high mortgages that they cannot pay. I do not know where the €110 million is going, but it is certainly not going to those people.

In the assessment of eligibility, 5% of the market value of the house owned by the patient is taken into account. That would be fine if the house was modern enough to be rented while the person was in the nursing home and was making money, but most of those houses by their nature are small and conventional as elderly people have lived in them for the previous 20 years. They make no money as they are lying idle, yet the 5% of market value makes the world of difference in the amount of subvention they receive. It is time such a policy is taken out of the equation because it is very unfair. Where the house is not being used and is not making money, it should definitely be taken out of the equation. It is of no use to the patient in that nursing home.

The Government and the HSE claimed that there would be much investment in State-run nursing homes. I can only speak about what I have seen in my constituency. There has been a very fine establishment in St. Brendan's Loughrea for generations. It used to be able to take about 160 patients. A badly-needed new refurbishment is now under way, but when it is finished the hospital will only be able to take 80 patients. We were told many years ago by the former Western Health Board that an equal number of places would be created in Ballinasloe. Now we find that the entire campus in the old St. Brigid's psychiatric hospital is about to be put up for sale. It will make millions of euro. I feel that the money raised from the sale will go into the coffers of the HSE at national level and we will be left holding the last straw.

The Minister of State's party colleagues are well represented in east Galway. I want to put a marker down tonight on behalf of all old people in my constituency that we will not tolerate what is going on. If ever there was an election issue, this will be one of them. We know that there is a lot of money in the sale of that hospital and we do not want it redistributed elsewhere. With all due respect, to put nursing homes in Dublin, Louth or Cork will not wash with us. We want them in east Galway because that is where the assets are coming from. The Minister of State might tell the House why the legislation regarding inspectors is not being introduced. We see no valid reason it should not be introduced immediately.

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